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Queer Book Club – Fanny & Stella
March 8 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm CET
Why This Book for March?
Our March theme focuses on non-binary histories and the long, often hidden presence of gender-expansive people. Fanny and Stella’s lives invite us to think about identity, visibility, and how society has responded to gender nonconformity across time.
Their story sits at the intersection of performance, community, law, and survival, making it a rich starting point for discussion about how we understand gender today — and how the past continues to shape queer lives.
About the Queer Book Club
The Queer Book Club is a monthly gathering for readers who want to explore LGBTQ+ literature together. Each session centers on a different theme, with space for thoughtful discussion, shared perspectives, and connection.
You don’t have to be an academic or a fast reader to join — just bring your curiosity. Newcomers are always welcome.
Sessions are held in English Villa Vida Café is wheelchair accessible, including an accessible toilet.
The Queer Book Club is hosted In collaboration with o*books & hint.wien. Once you’ve joined, you can order the books to read at a discounted rate at o*books.
Featuring Fanny & Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England by Neil McKenna
In March, our Queer Book Club turns to history and gender nonconformity with Fanny & Stella by Neil McKenna — a gripping true story that challenges the idea that non-binary and gender-expansive lives are a modern phenomenon. We’ll gather at Villa Vida Café to discuss the book together in a relaxed, welcoming setting.
Date: Sunday, March 8th, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Villa Vida Café, Vienna
In collaboration with: o*books & hint.wien
About the Book
Fanny & Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England is a meticulously researched historical account of Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park, two Victorian-era performers and friends who lived publicly in feminine clothing and personas known as “Fanny” and “Stella.”
In 1870, they were arrested at a London theatre while dressed in women’s clothing and charged with “conspiracy to commit sodomy,” sparking a sensational public trial in 1871. Their case became one of the most talked-about scandals of the time, exposing hidden queer social networks and anxieties around gender, sexuality, and identity in Victorian Britain.
Neil McKenna draws from court transcripts, letters, and contemporary reporting to reconstruct their lives, revealing a complex world of performance, friendship, desire, and survival. Rather than framing them as curiosities, the book presents Fanny and Stella as real people navigating rigid social norms while expressing gender in ways that still resonate today.
The story offers a powerful reminder that gender diversity has always existed, even when it had no accepted language or safety.
contact@villavida.at